Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to data forwarding in a mobile communications network system with a centralized gateway apparatus which controls distributed gateway elements.
Related Background Art
Prior art which is related to this technical field can e.g. be found in
[1] OpenFlow Switch Specification Version 1.0.0, Dec. 31, 2009
[2] 3GPP TS 23.401 v11.0.0
[3] 3GPP TS 29.274 v11.1.0, Table 6.1-1 and section 8.21
[4] 3GPP TS 29.281 v11.1.0, sections 4.4.0, 5.1, 5.2 and 6.1
The following meanings for the abbreviations used in this specification apply:
3GPP third generation partnership project
CGI cell global identification
DMM distributed mobility management
ECGI EUTRAN cell global identification
EPC evolved packet core
EUTRAN evolved universal terrestrial radio access network
F-TEID fully qualified TEID
GPRS general packet radio service
GTP GPRS tunneling protocol
GW gateway
IP internet protocol
IETF internet engineering task force
LAI local area identification
LIPA local IP access
NW network
OF openflow
OSPF open shortest path first
PDU packet data unit
P-GW packet data network gateway
QoS quality of service
RAI routing area identification
SAI service area identification
S-GW serving gateway
SIPTO selected IP traffic offload
TAI tracking area identification
TEID tunneling endpoint identifier
TFT traffic flow template
UE user equipment
ULI user location information
An expected significant data traffic growth and heterogeneous network capabilities are the challenges of future mobile networks.
Some of the resulting requirements for future network architecture will be an ability to master network heterogeneity, flexible deployment options supporting distributed gateways and service platforms, and the possibility to divide a physical network into several logical sub networks to allow NW sharing schemas.
Main recent technologies are network virtualization and programmable networks that promise cost efficiency of future networks. In particular the Open Flow protocol was designed to standardize a separation of control and user plane functions in transport networks. This allows cost savings for the following reasons:                Network nodes for routing and switching can become less expensive as they provide only simple standardized functionality        The control plane can be centralized, this in turn allows                    less expensive network management for the operator            decision making using information of the whole NW view            having the control about the complete NW resources that allow for virtualization and NW resource sharing                        The control plane of the transport network can cooperate/can be combined with the mobile network control functions which allows further optimization of resource usage        
The current centralized EPC architecture means excessive traffic concentration on a single GW and possibly un-optimized routing. Offloading in 3GPP (LIPA/SIPTO) and distributed mobility management (DMM) in IETF are attempts to solve these problems. The first one leans on the current 3GPP specified mechanisms and DMM is based on (proxy) mobile IP protocol.